Friday, April 04, 2008
UK media and PR industries yet to be convinced by Social Media News Release (SMNR)
Tim Hoang and I have spent a couple of months trying to work out whether social media new releases (SMNR) add any value to media in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. We’ve sought anecdotal comment whenever we’ve been at social media events and more recently had a crack at numerically quantifying opinion. SMNR has some way to go, journalists say.
US
UK
Tim Hoang and I have spent a couple of months trying to work out whether social media new releases (SMNR) add any value to media in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. We’ve sought anecdotal comment whenever we’ve been at social media events and more recently had a crack at numerically quantifying opinion. SMNR has some way to go, journalists say.These findings conflict directly with research by press office design firm Glide Technologies who reported last year that 75 per cent of journalists would prefer to receive media-rich press releases than a standard email or Word file attachment.
Chris Lee and something that we’ve argued for a long time.
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Comments:
Stephen/Tim
Be really great if you could provide more detail on your findings as this is an interesting debate to have - which sectors were represented? Were they online or print media? What questions were asked? Were there any bloggers in the group? On a lighter note it does strike me as a little strange that someone can express a preference (“two thirds would prefer traditional releases”) for something in comparison to something they haven’t heard of (85% haven’t heard of SMNRs)! :)
As regards take up, it isn’t large, but size isn’t everything. :) Some research on our site would lead you to find that we alone have distributed SMNRs on behalf of over 20 organisations, small and large, including – ITV, Intel, Webex, Sainsburys, UK Online, Symantec, Sage, Cincom and Cisco and we are getting a lot more enquiries about the format http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD_mYKc20OY.
Agreed that the fundamental issue is always quality of content though and not suggesting that any press release format traditional or SMNR can ever change that. You’ll get no argument on targeting either, we expend a lot of time and effort researching and contacting sites on our database, including 1,000 bloggers to date, to make sure we narrowcast our releases for that very reason.
The SMNR is clearly not a panacea for bad PR and we aren’t suggesting it is, however used appropriately it can achieve tangible online communications benefits that the traditional release format can’t.
We are looking to do some research ourselves on this area in the coming weeks/months, perhaps we could compare notes?
Cheers
Adam
Be really great if you could provide more detail on your findings as this is an interesting debate to have - which sectors were represented? Were they online or print media? What questions were asked? Were there any bloggers in the group? On a lighter note it does strike me as a little strange that someone can express a preference (“two thirds would prefer traditional releases”) for something in comparison to something they haven’t heard of (85% haven’t heard of SMNRs)! :)
As regards take up, it isn’t large, but size isn’t everything. :) Some research on our site would lead you to find that we alone have distributed SMNRs on behalf of over 20 organisations, small and large, including – ITV, Intel, Webex, Sainsburys, UK Online, Symantec, Sage, Cincom and Cisco and we are getting a lot more enquiries about the format http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD_mYKc20OY.
Agreed that the fundamental issue is always quality of content though and not suggesting that any press release format traditional or SMNR can ever change that. You’ll get no argument on targeting either, we expend a lot of time and effort researching and contacting sites on our database, including 1,000 bloggers to date, to make sure we narrowcast our releases for that very reason.
The SMNR is clearly not a panacea for bad PR and we aren’t suggesting it is, however used appropriately it can achieve tangible online communications benefits that the traditional release format can’t.
We are looking to do some research ourselves on this area in the coming weeks/months, perhaps we could compare notes?
Cheers
Adam
# posted by 
: 5:29 PM
: 5:29 PM
Hi Wadds. The results from your journalist survey don't surprise me at all! I would argue most journalists are lagging at least 12-months behind the social media movement, and don't yet realise how they need to adapt. At the moment the traditional press release is comfortable for them (and I'm speaking from experience here as an ex-journo). However, it's inevitable that journalists will be forced to consider the social-side of news reporting more and more, and that's when the SMPR will come into its own. It hasn't yet reached tipping point, but it will do when journalists realise the advantage of having quality multimedia content etc at their fingertips.
Thank goodness blog comments allow more than 140 characters. I didn't want to attempt saying this all on Twitter!
Thank goodness blog comments allow more than 140 characters. I didn't want to attempt saying this all on Twitter!
Stephen, I believe that the power of the social media news release is less in the channel of delivery than in the opportunity it offers to fix the press release in an existing manner.
Getting rid of releases particularly prevalent in the US that start similar to: Acme Inc. (NASDAQ: FUCT), a leading end-to-end premier solutions provider to the who-cares sector announced a deal with (you get the picture).
The initial meat on the bones is easily presented and much more journalist friendy. Even if there wasn't the web, this change would need to happen.
As for the video, everybody likes an excuse to waste some time on YouTube :)
Getting rid of releases particularly prevalent in the US that start similar to: Acme Inc. (NASDAQ: FUCT), a leading end-to-end premier solutions provider to the who-cares sector announced a deal with (you get the picture).
The initial meat on the bones is easily presented and much more journalist friendy. Even if there wasn't the web, this change would need to happen.
As for the video, everybody likes an excuse to waste some time on YouTube :)
Adam, Wendy, Ged - thanks for your responses and with the big man spending the weekend attempting to climb a big hill in preparation for our three peaks challenge (donations welcome) i'll try and address some of your queries in his absence.
Adam, happy to share our findings. It wasn't scientific, we spammed as many journalists (sorry) as we could both online and print to see what thet thought about SMNRs. No bloggers were asked unless they blogged in a different role. With regards to your two-thirds would prefer a tradional release: we introduced the email explaining to them what the SMNR was (using either webitpr's definition ironically). Before they had seen our intro email 85% hadn't heard of SMNR, but having seen an explanation a third like the idea of it, which i suppose bodes quite well for the SMNR.
Wendy - Agreed journalists are so far behind when it comes to social media (perhaps we are too far in front?). I'm speaking on behalf of the journos that i speak to regularly on a social level (and from the survey) and not one of them liked the idea of the SMNR release. In principle yes - it would be great if they could spend their time finding out every angle of a story but there are deadlines to meet and sleep inducing conferences to attend to. Certainly in the IT trade press (look at computerwire/datamonitor's recent exodus as an example) budgets have been cut dramatically and time is even more restrained.
Ged - The SMNR certainly address the issue of the bullshit that accompanies most press releases but rather than making it harder for the journalist to write the story why don't we just write the traditional release better? The SMNR is easy on the eye - but is it journalist friendly? Does it not just make it more work for the journo to fill in the gaps?
I'm not saying journalists are as lazy as i am but the ones i talk to definately do not have the time to look at all the links and information available on the web - a phone call to an analyst / competitor will do for a different angle or more information.
Agreed on content - but again the feedback we keep getting is that the content isn't necessarily bad - just badly targeted.
Wadds, anything else to add?
Ok, I'm quite aware that a lowly 25 year old PR consultant has just tried argue with the Chief exec of a multi million quid company and two of the most respected bloggers around. Fingers crossed i don't get a backlash of Millington proportions.
Adam, happy to share our findings. It wasn't scientific, we spammed as many journalists (sorry) as we could both online and print to see what thet thought about SMNRs. No bloggers were asked unless they blogged in a different role. With regards to your two-thirds would prefer a tradional release: we introduced the email explaining to them what the SMNR was (using either webitpr's definition ironically). Before they had seen our intro email 85% hadn't heard of SMNR, but having seen an explanation a third like the idea of it, which i suppose bodes quite well for the SMNR.
Wendy - Agreed journalists are so far behind when it comes to social media (perhaps we are too far in front?). I'm speaking on behalf of the journos that i speak to regularly on a social level (and from the survey) and not one of them liked the idea of the SMNR release. In principle yes - it would be great if they could spend their time finding out every angle of a story but there are deadlines to meet and sleep inducing conferences to attend to. Certainly in the IT trade press (look at computerwire/datamonitor's recent exodus as an example) budgets have been cut dramatically and time is even more restrained.
Ged - The SMNR certainly address the issue of the bullshit that accompanies most press releases but rather than making it harder for the journalist to write the story why don't we just write the traditional release better? The SMNR is easy on the eye - but is it journalist friendly? Does it not just make it more work for the journo to fill in the gaps?
I'm not saying journalists are as lazy as i am but the ones i talk to definately do not have the time to look at all the links and information available on the web - a phone call to an analyst / competitor will do for a different angle or more information.
Agreed on content - but again the feedback we keep getting is that the content isn't necessarily bad - just badly targeted.
Wadds, anything else to add?
Ok, I'm quite aware that a lowly 25 year old PR consultant has just tried argue with the Chief exec of a multi million quid company and two of the most respected bloggers around. Fingers crossed i don't get a backlash of Millington proportions.
Alreet,
Poster Boy here (surely you meant Pin-up Boy?).
First off, I’m glad to be part of a SMNR debate on a UK blog. We’ve sticking our oar in on the other side of the pond for quite some time but none of the UK PR contingent seems to want to have a discussion about it. Even if they disregard it they should say so.
Bravo Tim and Wadds.
As Adam mentioned, we’ve (I’ve) been meaning to do some thorough research into not just journalists’ opinions of the SMNR but bloggers’ also. Trust me it’s on the ever-increasing list of things to do. I need to stop “p*ssing around on Twitter” don’t I Tim? :-)
Here is my two penneth worth.
Disclosure: I have a vested interest in the SMNR as I work at webitpr.
The SMNR doesn’t have to be in bullet point style
Just because Todd Defren’s initial idea was designed in this way it’s still not set in stone and even the man himself said that the jury’s still out on that one. A Guardian hack told Ben Ayers he liked the platform but didn’t like the segmented elements. As a restult the last ITV SMNR we put out with in narrative style. It’s about choice.
The press release isn’t just about journalists anymore
Case in point, at last count, the ITV2 SMNR has received over 9,000 downloads of the winter line-up brochure. The brochure is in the form of a PDF and can be downloaded from the SMNR page. The analytical data tells us that people (consumers) have found the brochure by looking for certain ITV2 shows in Google. So, in this case, the SMNR has taken a ‘direct to consumer’ path.
Admittedly when I spoke to Chris Green he said he wouldn’t want to receive a release in the form of the SMNR. Not that he doesn’t see a use for it, he does. But he receives around 800 releases a day so his personal preference is to receive a short excerpt that he can skim read. The man’s a busy chap so it makes complete sense.
But as you have said Wadds, Tim, it’s all about quality of content and knowing your audience’s preferences. No matter how many bells and whistles a release has, if the content’s rubbish then it's rubbish. You can't polish a turd.
Social media needs experimentation
As Wendy rightly said, you get the feeling that most journalists and PRs are being pushed into social media as opposed to embracing it. Most people don’t like venturing into the great unknown and chances are they’re going to say their preferences lie with what they know best.
Personally I think the journalism industry is adapting to social media much more than the PR industry. Look at the Guardian, BBC and Telegraph; each have made extensive steps in social media. Although at the CIPR conference last week both Pete Clifton from the BBC and Shane Richmond from the Telegraph said that they’re constantly trying to educate their colleagues on the importance of online content.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
Wadds, Tim. Appreciate it if you stop writing blog posts which make me feel compelled to answer on a Saturday. Okthxbai.
Poster Boy here (surely you meant Pin-up Boy?).
First off, I’m glad to be part of a SMNR debate on a UK blog. We’ve sticking our oar in on the other side of the pond for quite some time but none of the UK PR contingent seems to want to have a discussion about it. Even if they disregard it they should say so.
Bravo Tim and Wadds.
As Adam mentioned, we’ve (I’ve) been meaning to do some thorough research into not just journalists’ opinions of the SMNR but bloggers’ also. Trust me it’s on the ever-increasing list of things to do. I need to stop “p*ssing around on Twitter” don’t I Tim? :-)
Here is my two penneth worth.
Disclosure: I have a vested interest in the SMNR as I work at webitpr.
The SMNR doesn’t have to be in bullet point style
Just because Todd Defren’s initial idea was designed in this way it’s still not set in stone and even the man himself said that the jury’s still out on that one. A Guardian hack told Ben Ayers he liked the platform but didn’t like the segmented elements. As a restult the last ITV SMNR we put out with in narrative style. It’s about choice.
The press release isn’t just about journalists anymore
Case in point, at last count, the ITV2 SMNR has received over 9,000 downloads of the winter line-up brochure. The brochure is in the form of a PDF and can be downloaded from the SMNR page. The analytical data tells us that people (consumers) have found the brochure by looking for certain ITV2 shows in Google. So, in this case, the SMNR has taken a ‘direct to consumer’ path.
Admittedly when I spoke to Chris Green he said he wouldn’t want to receive a release in the form of the SMNR. Not that he doesn’t see a use for it, he does. But he receives around 800 releases a day so his personal preference is to receive a short excerpt that he can skim read. The man’s a busy chap so it makes complete sense.
But as you have said Wadds, Tim, it’s all about quality of content and knowing your audience’s preferences. No matter how many bells and whistles a release has, if the content’s rubbish then it's rubbish. You can't polish a turd.
Social media needs experimentation
As Wendy rightly said, you get the feeling that most journalists and PRs are being pushed into social media as opposed to embracing it. Most people don’t like venturing into the great unknown and chances are they’re going to say their preferences lie with what they know best.
Personally I think the journalism industry is adapting to social media much more than the PR industry. Look at the Guardian, BBC and Telegraph; each have made extensive steps in social media. Although at the CIPR conference last week both Pete Clifton from the BBC and Shane Richmond from the Telegraph said that they’re constantly trying to educate their colleagues on the importance of online content.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
Wadds, Tim. Appreciate it if you stop writing blog posts which make me feel compelled to answer on a Saturday. Okthxbai.
Hi Tim (and Stephen).
"Multi million quid company", if only! Multi quid maybe :)
The fact that a third preferred the format having only just become aware of it in the majority of cases is an interesting observation that needs exploring.
As I see it however there are two separate issues here.
Whether the SMNR is a better format for news/content delivery to an online audience in any, some or all situations is a logistical and technical question. The question of what news/content to communicate and to whom it should be directed is the true PR issue as you rightly state. Any debate about the format should therefore restrict itself to questions about how such a format can or will effect the communication of the messages to its target audience rather than debating the quality and direction of the messages themselves.
Otherwise if this was a discussion about travel in the real world it would be the equivalent to debating whether walking, driving or flying was the best way to get somewhere without first deciding where you were going and why you wanted to get there in the first place. :)
The online world is a very different one to the print or broadcast mediums and post Web2.0 encompasses all aspects of communications – media, community leaders (bloggers), social networks, word of mouth and personal interaction i.e. it is a virtual mirror of the real world. To interact with it effectively PR pros need to understand and appreciate this. The danger if you apply a print media model is you end up concluding that the only “valuable” impact that PR can have in the online world is to create a piece of editorial coverage on a well known online publication. I am not saying that such an impact isn’t valuable and may in some cases be the only appropriate channel to use. However if the traditional media relations model is used exclusively you miss all those other opportunities that the online world brings to communicate messages to relevant audiences through the other elements above that would be much more labour intensive in the “real” world.
Despite being an online press release distribution company and predominantly still sending (as you rightly point out) “traditionally” constructed releases we still try to assist our clients in accessing all areas of the online medium through both our research (see 1,000 bloggers comment above) and our distribution platform. We embraced the SMNR because the current format, ours included, may not be the best way to address these online PR challenges, but it does represent an evolutionary step forward. I am sure you aren’t suggesting that the 100 year old press release format (which remember was designed for the “Press”) is the best way to achieve this? Like suggesting we should all have kept walking as that was still a way to get from A to B so why bother with the car, train or plane! :)
Cheers
Adam
"Multi million quid company", if only! Multi quid maybe :)
The fact that a third preferred the format having only just become aware of it in the majority of cases is an interesting observation that needs exploring.
As I see it however there are two separate issues here.
Whether the SMNR is a better format for news/content delivery to an online audience in any, some or all situations is a logistical and technical question. The question of what news/content to communicate and to whom it should be directed is the true PR issue as you rightly state. Any debate about the format should therefore restrict itself to questions about how such a format can or will effect the communication of the messages to its target audience rather than debating the quality and direction of the messages themselves.
Otherwise if this was a discussion about travel in the real world it would be the equivalent to debating whether walking, driving or flying was the best way to get somewhere without first deciding where you were going and why you wanted to get there in the first place. :)
The online world is a very different one to the print or broadcast mediums and post Web2.0 encompasses all aspects of communications – media, community leaders (bloggers), social networks, word of mouth and personal interaction i.e. it is a virtual mirror of the real world. To interact with it effectively PR pros need to understand and appreciate this. The danger if you apply a print media model is you end up concluding that the only “valuable” impact that PR can have in the online world is to create a piece of editorial coverage on a well known online publication. I am not saying that such an impact isn’t valuable and may in some cases be the only appropriate channel to use. However if the traditional media relations model is used exclusively you miss all those other opportunities that the online world brings to communicate messages to relevant audiences through the other elements above that would be much more labour intensive in the “real” world.
Despite being an online press release distribution company and predominantly still sending (as you rightly point out) “traditionally” constructed releases we still try to assist our clients in accessing all areas of the online medium through both our research (see 1,000 bloggers comment above) and our distribution platform. We embraced the SMNR because the current format, ours included, may not be the best way to address these online PR challenges, but it does represent an evolutionary step forward. I am sure you aren’t suggesting that the 100 year old press release format (which remember was designed for the “Press”) is the best way to achieve this? Like suggesting we should all have kept walking as that was still a way to get from A to B so why bother with the car, train or plane! :)
Cheers
Adam
Stephen and Adam, I'm in the office now doing 'proper' work (not messing around on Twitter like Davies) so i'll keep this short but i think we're pretty much all on the same level with this and hopefully it'll get other folk based in the UK thinking about it.
The reason why content and targeting is a key aspect of this debate is because mistargeted or irrelevant content is what frustrates journalists the most - which has added fuel to the whole 'death of press release debate'. On saturday i went for a drink with a couple of journalists again and queried them about their thoughts again. With better targeting they wouldn't have much of a problem with press releases and therefore no real need for a new template. While the press release is 100 years old as you point out - you could say that language is even older so why bother with that? The press release is fine and has evolved on its own whether its the language, style or distribution (via post, email or your good selves at webitpr)
Re: changing form of SMNR - isn't that basically a traditional press release but with links and embedded video? for relevant clients we've been doing this for some time now.
apart from that i pretty much agree with what you both have said but what it boils down to is this - The press release is broken - is the SMNR the answer? I don't think so.
Also - Poser boy would be more apt, Centurian (the crap estate version of the Chippendales) ;)
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The reason why content and targeting is a key aspect of this debate is because mistargeted or irrelevant content is what frustrates journalists the most - which has added fuel to the whole 'death of press release debate'. On saturday i went for a drink with a couple of journalists again and queried them about their thoughts again. With better targeting they wouldn't have much of a problem with press releases and therefore no real need for a new template. While the press release is 100 years old as you point out - you could say that language is even older so why bother with that? The press release is fine and has evolved on its own whether its the language, style or distribution (via post, email or your good selves at webitpr)
Re: changing form of SMNR - isn't that basically a traditional press release but with links and embedded video? for relevant clients we've been doing this for some time now.
apart from that i pretty much agree with what you both have said but what it boils down to is this - The press release is broken - is the SMNR the answer? I don't think so.
Also - Poser boy would be more apt, Centurian (the crap estate version of the Chippendales) ;)
